Overload
by Anagramed Lillium
Summary: Jyuushiro and Shunsui are sent to the human world along with a gaggle of Gotei members to deal with the 'overload' of hollows. Warning: Yaoi
1. Chapter 1 Adjust

Overload Chapter One

Chatter filled the area around the newly opened Senkaimon. Thirteen shinigami stood ready to leave – a representative from each division. Among them were two captains, leading the mission: Ukitake Jyuushiro and Kyouraku Shunsui.

The other eight captains were there to see them off, including the captain-commander. Once the kidou corps had announced that the Dangai area was stable, farewells were called out, and Shunsui was forcibly dragged from a horde of women.

Jyuushiro gave him a reprimanding, 'we have work to do' look.

Shunsui simply grinned at him.

As the others started to file into the gates, Jyuushiro glanced back once more, chuckling softly to himself as he watched Kiyone and Senatrou waving enthusiastically. He waved in return, and then turned to enter the gate, momentarily enveloped by the bright light, before there was the dark calmness of the Dangai.

Shunsui was up ahead, chatting good-naturedly with one of the female shinigami – the one from division four, by the looks of it. She was rather small, and looked a bit intimidated while talking with Shunsui, but that didn't deter the captain at all.

Jyuushiro sighed heavily, frowning slightly and just heading up the rear, making sure no one was left behind.

They reached the other side soon enough, stepping out of the other set of gates, arriving just outside Urahara's Shoten. The eccentric shop owner was there, grinning at them all.

"Welcome!" Urahara Kisuke called lightly. "I trust you had no trouble getting through," he said smoothly, smiling at them.

Shunsui approached Kisuke, grinning easily at him. "None at all," he replied. "It's been a while, Kisuke-kun."

Kisuke nodded in agreement, flashing the smarmy smirk of his as he bowed to Shunsui. "It certainly has, Kyouraku-taicho."

Jyuushiro also came near, smiling faintly at Kisuke, who immediately greeted him with a friendly grin.

The other shinigami seemed a bit surprised by how familiar Shunsui and Jyuushiro were with Kisuke, but they had the sense to keep their mouths closed.

After Jyuushiro and Shunsui had spoken with Kisuke, Kisuke turned to the other eleven. Their attention moved to him immediately.

"Why don't we get you all into your gigais?" Kisuke suggested, grinning at them as they all gave him apprehensive looks. "Ah, don't worry! They've _all_ been thoroughly examined," he assured them.

There was a quiet, hesitant murmur of assent.

"Great!" Kisuke exclaimed keenly, grinning as he flicked out his fan, hiding his smirk behind it. "This way, please."

The thirteen Shinigami started following, a few more wary than others.

Kisuke led the way inside the Shoten, and off into one of the larger rooms. It would have looked like a morgue to any person who didn't know what a gigai was, considering the fact that there were thirteen bodies lying on tables, though they were fully clothed, and weren't covered by sheets.

"Just find your own," Kisuke called back, settling off to the side to watch.

Jyuushiro started to wander with a quiet sigh, looking at the other twelve as they all started going for their bodies. Jyuushiro noted that Shunsui found his almost immediately, and climbed inside quickly, smiling easily. Jyuushiro had to admit that Shunsui looked _good_ in clothes from the material world. Of course, Shunsui looked good in anything, but that was beside the point.

Jyuushiro forced his eyes away from the eighth division taicho, returning his attention to searching for his gigai, finding it not long after. He looked at it with a soft frown. Gigais were a pain. He hadn't had to use one in numerous years, and he was a little anxious about using one now. But then again… Shunsui hadn't been in a gigai in about the same amount of time, and he'd had no trouble with it… So with a sigh, Ukitake pulled the body up, entering it without any trouble.

He blinked down at himself for a moment, looking at the strange – and rather tight – clothing. He wasn't sure if they suited him, but he wasn't exactly used to them either. The body had been fitted with navy blue jeans, and a white button-up shirt; a red sweater over that. He heard a wolf-whistle, and didn't even have to look to know that it was Shunsui. Jyuushiro had always thought that Shunsui enjoyed teasing him much too much.

Jyuushiro rolled his eyes, sighing as he looked around, noticing that almost everyone was in a gigai now.

Kisuke called for attention then, pointing down the hall. "There are rooms for all of you, but don't think you're going to stay here the duration of your mission," he said lightly, grinning from behind his fan.

A small head poked inside the doorway, spiky red hair flashing. "Yeah!" called a boy's voice. "We don't like moochers!"

There were a few laughs, and a hand soon reached out, pulling Jinta back away from the door. Ururu was still doing her best to keep Jinta in line, even if she got whacked for it.

Kisuke turned back to the others, smirking at them. "Feel free to pick whichever room you like."

They started filing out of the room, though Shunsui and Jyuushiro hung back, waiting until the others were gone before going to settle on the floor with Kisuke, kneeling down across from the shop owner.

Kisuke put away the fan, suddenly serious. "So it's gotten this bad?" he asked quietly.

Jyuushiro and Shunsui exchanged a glance, then looked back at Kisuke, nodding seriously. "The dramatic influx of hollows is starting to upset the balance," Jyuushiro said softly. "It's causing a sort of… overload in the Soul Society," he sighed, shaking his head. "We can't keep up with the amount of humans that are being killed and the amount of hollows that are appearing."

"Ah, so that's why they've sent so many of you?" Kisuke asked.

Jyuushiro nodded. "Yes, and we'll be staying in this world for… quite some time," he said with a faint smile.

"Until we have the hollows under control," Shunsui added, an easy smile on his lips.

"Then you'll need your gigais replaced frequently, hmm?"

"Yeah," Shunsui confirmed with a quiet laugh. "It won't be a problem, will it?"

"Of course not, Kyouraku-taicho," Kisuke said lightly.

Shunsui laughed, rolling his eyes. "Shunsui, please, Kisuke-kun," he said warmly.

"Shunsui-san, then." Kisuke grinned at them, chuckling and pointing down the hall again. "Your rooms are at the very end of the hall."

"Thank you, Kisuke-kun," Jyuushiro said quietly, bowing slightly as he got to his feet, waiting until Shunsui was up before heading down the hall towards the rooms.

Jyuushiro paused at one of the empty rooms, looking back at Shunsui. "You don't think we'll be away _too_ long, do you?" he asked quietly.

Shunsui gave a small shrug. "No way of telling," he replied simply, then grinned cheekily at Jyuushiro. "If you're feeling homesick, you could always sleep with me," he suggested.

Jyuushiro rolled his eyes. "Good night, Kyouraku-kun," he said simply, shaking his head as he went to retire for the night.

Shunsui laughed quietly, smiling a little ruefully as he watched Jyuushiro's door slide closed. "Good night, Jyuushiro," he said quietly, and then turned to go into his own room.


	2. Chapter 2 Stranger Yet

Overload Chapter Two: Stranger Yet

"What do you _mean_ we have to get _jobs_?!"

An indignant cry rose up from the eleven Shinigami seated around a very large kotatsu.

Jyuushiro and Shunsui couldn't help laughing a little at the surprise.

"Of course you have to get jobs!" Kisuke chimed in. "_And_ you have to find somewhere else to live."

Jyuushiro chuckled at the irritated grumble that spread through the room. He smiled easily at all of them. "You have to be able to properly acclimate yourselves to life here. One of the reasons your captains chose you specifically is because you have all proven to have fine survival skills. It shouldn't be too difficult for you to adapt."

The room was silent for a few moments, and then a small, familiar voice said, "W-we aren't really going to be gone _that_ long, a-are we?" It was the squad four member, and she was absently fiddling with her sleeve. "I mean, the-the Hollow situation isn't so bad that our stay in this world is longer than… I don't know… a few weeks?"

There were a few nods, concerned murmurs, and then all eyes turned to the two captains for the answer to the question they'd all been afraid to ask.

Jyuushiro sighed heavily, and he shook his head weakly. "We don't know how long we'll be staying," he replied quietly, honestly. "But we were told that we could be away for… quite a while."

Everything was silent for a few moments, and then the room was filled with voices. Some were making excuses with reasons not to stay – family being the main one. Others were trying to negotiate a shorter stay, different tactics; anything that would get hem back to Seireitei.

And then, finally, a very loud, aggravated voice cut through all the others, and the squad eleven member got to his feet, glaring down at the other Shinigami. "Stop complaining!" he snapped. "This is your _duty_ as members of the Gotei 13! You knew you'd have to make sacrifices when you joined the Academy. Being away from home for a few months certainly won't kill you! So get off your asses and start acting like adults!"

Everyone was instantly silent, staring up at the rather intimidating man. He looked quite pleased with himself, and then he turned to Jyuushiro and Shunsui, bowing. "Ryuugu Kanaye, eleventh division," he said, his voice a bit more respectful when addressing the captains. And then he politely excused himself to go find his gigai and prepare to find a temporary job.

Kisuke also slipped out of the room, but not before saying lightly, "I have all the documents and papers that you'll need." This meant he had IDs and resumes for each of them.

Glances were exchanged among the ten remaining Shinigami, but eventually, one by one, they got up from under the kotatsu, heading back to their respective rooms before going to see Kisuke.

Jyuushiro looked over at Shunsui with a small smile. "Well, at least they're a _little_ motivated," he chuckle quietly, though it turned into a soft cough.

Shunsui smiled sympathetically. "I just hope we won't hear any whining for a while," he said with an easy grin. "I suppose we should follow suit?" He laughed as he got to his feet, offered Jyuushiro his hand.

Jyuushiro accepted the help up with a quiet 'thank you'. He brushed himself off with one hand, clearing his throat to hide another cough. He blinked a few times when he realized Shunsui was still holding his hand. Jyuushiro frowned softly, trying to shake off Shunsui's hand.

Shunsui released him with a warm laugh, grinning broadly at Jyuushiro. "Am I not allowed to hold you hand?" he asked teasingly.

Jyuushiro's frown deepened slightly. "No," he replied simply.

"Ah, you're so cold," Shunsui pouted, feigning hurt.

Jyuushiro sighed, rolling his eyes. "Come on," he said, shaking his head at Shunsui.

Shunsui laughed again, grinning as he followed Jyuushiro out of the room.

On their way through the deceivingly large shoten, Jyuushiro looked over at Shunsui. "That girl," he said slowly. "The one from squad four?"

Shunsui blinked a few times. "Yes, what about her?" he asked, curious now.

"What's her name?" Jyuushiro had seen Shunsui talking to her a couple times, and when she'd spoken up, he'd realized that he didn't actually know her name.

"Maeda Ai," Shunsui replied, looking at Jyuushiro with a bit of intrigue and inquisitiveness. "Does someone have a crush?" Shunsui asked, teasing as his eyebrows winged upward.

Jyuushiro blinked a few times, and then frowned. "Of course not," he scoffed. "I just realized that I didn't know who she was," he said mildly, giving a small shrug.

Shunsui chuckled, nodding. "She's a very pretty girl," he said conversationally.

"I guess she is," Jyuushiro responded.

Shunsui rolled his eyes. "Haven't you seen those curvy hips? Her long silky hair? Those deep brown eyes?" he asked with a broad grin.

Jyuushiro's frown deepened slightly. "I don't generally pay attention to that," he sighed, shaking his head.

Shunsui laughed lightly. "Maybe that's why you never have sex," he said thoughtfully. "You just don't pay attention to any of the women," he said, almost mournfully, though in a ragging way.

Jyuushiro couldn't help blushing ever so slightly, though he sighed in exasperation. "That's all you ever think about, isn't it?" he asked, a little waspishly.

Shunsui chuckled, grinning. "Not _all_," he said cheekily.

Jyuushiro rolled his eyes, shaking his head as they reached their rooms. They each slipped inside their owns with a parting glance, and after they'd each slipped into their gigais, they went to go see Kisuke with the others.

~*~

It took little over a week, but it seemed that all thirteen Shinigami had managed to find a job of some kind. Even Shunsui had been hired at the same bookstore Jyuushiro was going to be working at.

_No surprise there_, Jyuushiro had thought when Shunsui told him.

Of course, in the time that it took to find a job and a place to live (with the help of Kisuke), Shunsui had succeeded in locating all the bars in Karakura. Which… wasn't very surprising, either.

The one thing that _was_ strange was the complete _lack_ of Hollow activity since their arrival. There were a few constant grumbles that they were wasting their time.

Or maybe the Hollows were just biding theirs.


	3. Chapter 3 Surprise

Jyuushiro calmly ran his fingers over the spines of large volumes, looking for something particular.

The peace of the bookstore was interrupted, of course, by Shunsui's restless reiatsu coming up behind Jyuushiro.

"I'm bored," the dark-haired man informed Jyuushiro.

Jyuushiro sighed in exasperation. It was a slow day, and the flow of customers was almost non-existent; they'd been lucky to get one of two all day.

"Read a book," Jyuushiro replied simply, looking over his shoulder at Shunsui.

"But I don't _want_ to," Shunsui huffed tetchily. "It's been two weeks, and we haven't seen any sign of those damn Hollows."

Jyuushiro blinked a few times, quite astonished by Shunsui's grumpy and almost irritable demeanor. That was almost unheard of, for him.

"It is a little strange," Jyuushiro agreed with a small nod as he looked back at the bookshelf. "And a little unnerving," he added under his breath.

Shunsui sighed heavily, but he relaxed slightly from being close to Jyuushiro's reiatsu – like a breath of fresh air, a calming spring breeze. "What are you looking for?" Shunsui asked, his tone a bit lighter now.

Jyuushiro gave a small shrug in reply. "Whatever catches my attention."

"Hmmm," Shunsui hummed, smirking a little as he reached out from where he was still position behind Jyuushiro, plucking up a book and "accidentally" pressing against Jyuushiro.

Jyuushiro stiffened in surprise, but looked back at Shunsui with an almost reprimanding frown before slipping away, moving down the row of literature again. Jyuushiro didn't really pay much attention to Shunsui's occasional suggestive teasing; he was to it now. His womanizing friend had always been a very tactile person, and because of Shunsui's obviously straight intentions, Jyuushiro knew it was nothing.

Jyuushiro and Shunsui both looked up at the sound of a tinkling bell – the one that hung in the path of the door, ringing whenever the opening door knocked against it.

Shunsui essentially ignored the fact that someone had entered, simply turning his attention back to the book in his hands as he started to thumb through it.

Jyuushiro, on the other hand, pulled down the book he'd been looking for, and then headed back towards the front of the store.

Jyuushiro blinked a few times when he saw a _beautiful_ woman standing by the front counter. Jyuushiro cleared his throat, and the woman looked up, a brief flash of surprise crossing her pretty features before relaxing into a sweet smile.

"Is there something I can help you find?" Jyuushiro asked, his tone light and friendly.

"Oh, yes," the woman said quietly. Her voice was soft and sweet, a perfect complementation to her pretty face. "I'm looking for something… specific."

Of course, the sound of the woman's voice drew Shunsui's attention, and his eyes peered around a bookshelf, his eyebrows rising when he saw the customer who'd just walked in.

"You wouldn't happen to have _Ise Monogatari_, would you?" the woman asked hopefully.

Jyuushiro _stared_ for a moment, and then looked down at the book in his hands. "Uhm, right here," he said with a small smile, holding out the volume.

The woman blinked down at it, and then laughed quietly, taking the book and flipping through it for a moment. "Thank you," she said warmly. "So you like this poetry?" she asked.

Jyuushiro smiled a bit sheepishly, nodding. "I'm certainly fond of it," he replied with a quiet chuckle.

She grinned slightly. "It's so hard to find anyone familiar with it," she said warmly.

"I would imagine so." Jyuushiro laughed quietly, returning the grin. "I can help you over here," he said lightly, pointing over at the register.

She nodded, and followed Jyuushiro over to the counter, handing him the book and letting him ring it up, pulling out her money while he did so.

"¥782," he said, waiting patiently for the money and smiling faintly. When he noticed Shunsui staring at the both of them – and _grinning_ at Jyuushiro – Jyuushiro gave him a reproachful frown, and Shunsui just slipped back to the row of bookshelves with a chuckle.

The woman handed over the appropriate money, and Jyuushiro hit a few buttons of the register, slipping the bills and coins inside when the drawer slid open. He closed it, and then pulled out one of the bags, placing the book inside along with the receipt before handing it over.

"Thank you," she said warmly. "That was much easier than I thought it would be," she noted lightly, laughing a little.

"Glad I could help," Jyuushiro said, smiling gently at her.

She smiled back, and then started to head for the door, pausing to look back. "Do you think you might want to get coffee later, or something?" she asked, looking a little less confident than she'd been before.

Jyuushiro blinked a few times, then smiled gently. "All right," he agreed.

She sighed in relief, smiling again. "Great. I'll give you my number, then." She moved back, pulling out a small slip of paper and a pen, quickly scrawling her name across it, along with her number.

Jyuushiro looked down at it, taking the paper when it was offered. "Koichi Akina?" he read, blinking down at the number.

The woman nodded.

Jyuushiro smiled gently. "I am Ukitake Jyuushiro," he said warmly, folding the small piece of paper and slipping it into his pocket.

"Ukitake-kun…" Akina said slowly, like she was trying out the name.

"I will give you a call," Jyuushiro said warmly. He was just starting to understand phones. They weren't too different from soul pagers, after all.

Akina nodded again, and then started to head for the door. "Goodbye!" she called back.

Jyuushiro waved, and once the door was closed, he relaxed with a heavy sigh, plopping down in the chair that sat behind the counter.

"A spring flower, eh?" a smooth rumbling voice brought Jyuushiro's attention back to the present, making him remember that Shunsui was still in the store.

Jyuushiro looked back up at Shunsui, chuckling softly. "Yes, I suppose so," he said quietly, smiling as he shook his head at his friend.

"I'm jealous," Shunsui said conversationally, grinning as he leaned against the counter, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Mmm," Jyuushiro hummed in acknowledgement.

"You're going to call her, aren't you?" Shunsui asked, and Jyuushiro managed to detect a strange… inflection in Shunsui's voice.

Jyuushiro gave a small shrug. "I intend to," he replied simply.

Shunsui nodded, humming quietly.

"Something wrong with that?" Jyuushiro asked, a little baffled by Shunsui's attitude.

Shunsui blinked a few times, then grinned broadly. "No, nothing at all," Shunsui said lightly. "Just a little surprise," he teased.

Jyuushiro frowned, and opened his mouth to ask why it was so shocking, but he interrupted by a _howl_.

Closely followed by a bloodcurdling _scream_.


	4. Chapter 4 Growing Forces

Overload Chapter Four – Growing Forces

The previously silent soul pagers started beeping _madly_, the sounds almost as loud as the howls outside the bookstore.

Shunsui and Jyuushiro were on their feet in an instant, dashing for the door, rushing outside to witness the devastation.

Crashes and screams filled the area, and the destruction made Jyuushiro pause, utter horror etched in his fine features. Bodies lay strewn under wreckage, and the Hollows were _everywhere_. It was nothing less than a massacre, with Huge Hollows littering the area, pulling things apart without any hesitation.

It was a slaughter, pure and simple.

The presence of the Huge Hollows explained why no one had sensed them earlier, and their reiatsu was still slightly cloaked. A Shinigami would have to be nearby to be able to detect the creatures.

Luckily, a few of their comrades were already there, working together and fighting through the thick of it.

Shunsui and Jyuushiro had soon abandoned their gigai, paying little to no attention to where they left the shells; they were too focused on the Hollows.

Jyuushiro's eyes followed one of the Shinigami briefly, watching as she was knocked aside by a Hollow, skidding across the concrete towards Jyuushiro.

She hissed in pain when she was no longer scraping against the hard ground, and Jyuushiro bent to help her to help her to her feet quickly. The woman – Youshijiro Kanna – was abraded pretty badly, and she looked like she'd been burned, but the hard resolve in her features hadn't shifted at all. The way she moved and fought suggested she was from the second division. There was an obvious reason that SoiFon had picked her.

"I already contacted the others," she told Jyuushiro brusquely. "They're on their way." And with that, she shunpo'ed back, going after one of the smaller Hollows, and managing to slice its mask in half before the thing had even had the chance to realize she was there.

Jyuushiro was impressed, but he didn't really have time to be; one of the Huge Hollows charged him, jaws gaping as a horrid howl left the large creature. Jyuushiro quickly drew his zanpakutou, taking the Hollow's disorientation as an opportunity to release his Shikai.

"All Waves, rise now and become my shield; Lightning, strike now and become my blade! Sougyo no Kotowari!" Jyuushiro's sword became two, connected by the red cord as he brandished his double-bladed zanpakutou.

The Hollow came at him once more, swiping with long claws, spikes along each finger that could easily rend the flesh from Jyuushiro if he was accidentally caught by them.

Jyuushiro dodged hastily, avoiding the claws and the gnashing teeth. He swung around, slicing the blades downward and managing to cut clean through the Huge Hollow's mask. He didn't look back to see the Hollow turn to dust, merely moved on to one of the Denizens chasing after a terrified Whole.

The soul dashed down an alley too small for the creature to follow, and the Hollow loosed a furious roar, reaching its large hands and long arms, grappling for the cowering Whole.

Jyuushiro took advantage of the Denizen's distraction to kill the monster, cleaving through the white mask. He offered the soul a faint smile; he didn't have time to perform a Konsou, but those would all be dealt with later. He turned and took a shunpo step back into the thick of the fight, staving off one of the Huge Hollows before it took a bite out of Ryuugu, who'd joined the battle not moments ago.

Ryuugu spun in surprise when he felt Jyuushiro's reiatsu, relief flooding over his face when he realized the near miss that had been. He smiled gratefully at Jyuushiro, then turned back to one of the Hollows.

Jyuushiro noticed Shunsui not far off, determination in those defined features as the taichou of squad eight clashed with one of the Huge Hollows. Shunsui wielded his two blades gracefully, attacking with his released zanpakutou, which so resembled falchions.

Another Hollow swung at Jyuushiro, its bulking, strong arms used as clubs. Jyuushiro was knocked to the side, pain rising in his chest as he got to his feet again. He grimaced as the need to cough swelled in his damaged lungs, but he refused to give into the weakness.

One of the Huge Hollows had knocked him aside, and it came at Jyuushiro, lunging forward, jaws gaping and ready to swallow Jyuushiro whole.

Jyuushiro barely had time to raise his swords, managing to hold the Hollow off. He kept it at bay, frowning deeply as the proceedings of the battle ran through his mind.

Was it just his imagination… or were the Hollows getting bigger?

It seemed that Yoshijiro had seen his predicament, and the woman shunpo'ed closer, her zanpakutou slashing downwards, coming closer to the mask…

… until she was charged by another Hollow. She didn't have the time to turn and defend herself before the Hollow's jaws closed around her torso. The shocking pain wrenched a scream from Yoshijiro, and she tried to raise her free arm, her zanpakutou knocking against the Hollow almost feebly.

Jyuushiro was forced to look back at the Hollow still pushing at his blades. He shoved, and the Hollow stumbled clumsily back. Jyuushiro rushed forward, slicing the Hollow clean in half, then jumping over the creature's quickly dissolving body. He barely had time before his hands were rapidly forming the signs for a kidou spell, the incantation completely ignored. The spell may not have been as powerful, but it was faster. "Destructive Art 33! Sakkaho!"

The fire spell went straight for the eyes of the Hollow's ask, and the Hollow screamed in agony, its jaws releasing Yoshijiro's body.

The broken and bleeding form fell towards the ground, and Jyuushiro quickly leapt to catch her. Yoshijiro was completely limp, her eyes open and wide. The injuries were extensive, blood pouring from her body, and bones protruding sickly.

Jyuushiro tucked Yoshijiro tightly in his arms, flash-stepping out of the fray. He gently laid her on the ground, being mindful of the wide-spread wounds. He looked around frantically; where was Maeda-chan?!

Yoshijiro's breathing was shallow at best, and she needed to be healed. _Immediately_.

Jyuushiro spotted the squad four member on the edge of everything, doing her best to slip by and get to the injured. Jyuushiro waved, catching her attention. Maeda made a bee-line for where Yoshijiro and Jyuushiro were, avoiding the Hollows.

Maeda knelt next to Yoshijiro's body, looking her over for a moment. "I'll take care of it," Maeda assured Jyuushiro, looking up at him with a slight frown. "Get back in there," she said firmly.

Jyuushiro smiled a little at Maeda, nodding. For all the girl's nervousness and timidity, she was able to be fierce when necessary. Jyuushiro shunpo'ed away, brandishing Sougyo no Kotowari again as he went after a Hollow. He sliced through the mask of one of the horrid creatures, only to connect with the claws of another Hollow. Luckily, it was only a shallow swipe, but he was knocked into a wall, coughing harshly as he pulled himself out of the stone. He wiped the blood away from his lips, breathing shakily as he tightened his hold on the hilt of his zanpakutou. The Hollow came after him again, an ear-piercing shriek ringing from the creature's throat.

Jyuushiro raised his sword to block the Hollow, but then, out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of moment. Just as the Hollow was about to connect with his blades, Shunsui appeared behind the monster, his two swords swinging down and cleaving through the Hollow's mask. Shunsui touched down next to Jyuushiro as the Hollow turned to dust.

"Are you alright?" he asked firmly, concern set into Shunsui's normally relaxed features.

Jyuushiro nodded, coughing once more, though quietly. "I'm fine," he promised, wiping at the blood on his lips. "Don't worry about me."

Shunsui frowned, shaking his head a little at Jyuushiro.

Jyuushiro just offered a small smile.

"Are you injured?" Shunsui asked as he raised his blades again.

"Not at all," Jyuushiro lied easily. From what he could tell, he'd cracked a rib or two – but he completely ignored the pain –, and there was a deep gash in his side. The blood was leaking slowly, but Jyuushiro could simply pass it off as Yoshijiro's.

Shunsui was completely unharmed, aside from a few bruises on his arms, an occasional scratch. Sometimes, Jyuushiro admired Shunsui's abilities – envied them, more of. Even though they were well matched, Jyuushiro would always be just a little weaker, because of his illness.

"Alright, let's…" Jyuushiro paused, blinking in confusion as all the Hollows started disappearing, fading into darkness, one after another. Were they… _retreating_?

It certainly _looked_ like they were leaving for Hueco Mundo.

All the Shinigami in the area looked around, utterly bewildered by the Hollows' retreat. And then it was like the whole clearing _relaxed_.

Jyuushiro's eyes wandered the expanse of the demolished city block, taking in the sight of the bodies buried under wreckage, souls wandering aimlessly, terror and confusion on each of their faces.

But one particular Whole caught his attention: a very lost looking woman who was staring helplessly at a pile of rubble, under which a body was crushed, a hand hanging limply from the rock.

The dark-haired woman knelt, her hand reaching for… a book? Every time she touched it, her hand went right through the pages. A look of distress crossed her pretty face as she continued to try and pick up the torn and blood-splattered copy of _Ise Monogatari_.

Jyuushiro sighed deeply, sadness in his eyes as he watched Akina's attempts to pick up the book of poetry. He slowly approached her, laid a hand on her shoulder.

Akina jumped, startled by the contact. "U-Ukitake-san?" she said weakly, her eyes wide.

Jyuushiro smiled gently at her. "Yes, it's me," he confirmed quietly.

"Am I… am I…" She didn't seem able to say it. "I… I can't pick up the book," she said quietly, her voice cracking ever so slightly.

Jyuushiro smiled sadly at Akina. His zanpakutou had already returned to its resting state, and now a simple katana rested in his hand.

Akina looked from Jyuushiro back to the book. "Is that… me?" she asked, pointing at the body under the rubble.

Akina took a deep, shaky breath. "That means I'm dead?"

Jyuushiro sighed, and nodded again. "Yes," he said softly.

She looked down at the book, frowning softly. "What does that make you?"

"I am a Shinigami," Jyuushiro replied with a gentle smirk.

Akina looked back at him with wide eyes. "You didn't kill me, did you?"

Jyuushiro blinked, then chuckled softly. "No, of course not," he said softly. "But I am going to help you move on," he promised.

"Move on to where?" she asked, frowning slightly.

"A better place – the Soul Society." He chuckled quietly. "You'll be safe there, and it's very peaceful."

Akina sighed heavily, nodding softly. "Okay. So… what do you have to do?" she asked slowly.

"Not much," he said, holding up his sword. "It won't hurt," he promised when she eyed it warily.

She nodded. "If you say so," she said quietly, and closed her eyes, waiting for it.

Jyuushiro smiled softly as he turned his sword, and gently pressed the hilt against her forehead, leaving the glowing stamp.

Akina actually smiled then, peacefully as her body began to dissolve, and all that was left was a beautiful black butterfly.

Jyuushiro watched her fly away before he relaxed, turning his attention back to the other souls and injuries at hand.

There were already humans starting to run around – paramedics, the fire department – all handling damage control.

Jyuushiro made his way over to where the rest of uninjured Shinigami were starting to help their injured comrades over to where Maeda had finished healing Yoshijiro. There were two of the Shinigami who needed to be carried over – it looked like Ryuugu, and… the sixth squad member.

Jyuushiro looked closely at the man being hauled over, frowning softly at his fine features, his porcelain skin. Jyuushiro turned his attention to Shunsui, who was standing not too far away. He went over, asking Shunsui quietly, "Is the representative from the sixth division a Kuchiki?"

Shunsui looked at Jyuushiro, blinking a few times, then looking to the youth being laid out on the ground by Maeda. He chuckled quietly, nodded. "Yeah, Byakuya-taicho apparently thought he could use the experience or something," he explained with a shrug. "His name's Satoshi."

"Ah," Jyuushiro said, nodding. And then he headed off to take care of Konsous with the other uninjured Shinigami, though after Shunsui noticed the way he was grimacing with each step, Shunsui forced him to go sit and wait to be tended to.

It took a good four hours, but by the end of it, all the wounds were taken care of, and all the souls had passed on.

After everything was settled, the Shinigami went looking for their gigais, picking them up from where they'd been concealed.

Jyuushiro and Shunsui went back towards the bookstore. Shunsui found his rather easily, but Jyuushiro's was no where to be seen.

Jyuushiro frowned deeply. "Where… is my gigai?" he asked no one in particular. The body was _not_ where he'd left it. He looked over at Shunsui. "Where's my gigai?"


End file.
